Stuart Moriarty-Patten
[FYI request #16713 email]
Tēnā koe Stuart Moriarty-Patten
On 24 September 2021, the Ministry of Social Development (the Ministry) received a
transfer of your request made under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), from
the Department of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet (DPMC). Your request is for
the following information:
•
Does the New Zealand government collect data on individuals from social
media and then use this data to target individuals with messaging and
adverts or in any other way?
The Ministry uses our social media pages to post media releases and other news,
service announcements, consultations and emergency information for clients. We
operate all our social media accounts in line with our social media policy. You can
read more about our terms of use, here:
www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-
work/tools/social-media-terms-and-conditions.html.
The Ministry does not collect data on individuals via our social media channels. As
such, I am refusing your request under section 18(g) of the Act as the information
you have requested is not held by the Ministry and I have no grounds to believe that
the information is held by another department or Minister of the Crown or
organisation.
The principles and purposes of the Official Information Act 1982 under which you
made your request are:
• to create greater openness and transparency about the plans, work and
activities of the Government,
• to increase the ability of the public to participate in the making and
administration of our laws and policies and
• to lead to greater accountability in the conduct of public affairs.
This Ministry fully supports those principles and purposes. The Ministry therefore
intends to make the information contained in this letter and any attached documents
available to the wider public. The Ministry will do this by publishing this letter on the
Ministry of Social Development’s website. Your personal details will be deleted, and
the Ministry will not publish any information that would identify you as the person
who requested the information.
If you wish to discuss this response with us, please feel free to contact
[email address].
If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to seek an
investigation and review by the Ombudsman. Information about how to make a
complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi nui
Magnus O’Neill
General Manager
Ministerial and Executive Services
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